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Why do we continue to cook professionally?

It's kinda like " To be or not to be? That is the question."

I sometimes ask myself why do i still do it. 14 years in the business in some shape or form. A couple of those years spent in the front of the house... I know i'm sorry. But i must say, i have meet the most interesting people in the kitchen. These are the people that i would probably never talk to if i saw them walking down the street... some just because, others because i was scared.

I once had a cook that would ask me once a week if he could take a tub of knox gelatin home so he could do his hair. Yup... full on misfits punk rocker with a real mohawk before it was mainstream with parts of his face i never thought you could peirce.

But besides the love for cooking, its the love for the other people like me that don't like to talk to customers because we are angry at the world because they want their double veal chop well done and out in 5 minutes, beacuse they have a show to catch. Freaking Bridge and Tunnel crowd.

a great man once said "Heaven gives us good meat. Hell gives us good cooks!"

Because owning this many knives without a professional reason would lead to my name being put on a list somewhere?

But really, I just couldnt imagine doing anything else. I am very bad at long term projects, so preparing for service is perfect for me. Every deadline is 5 minutes from now and that suits me just fine.

I don't cook professionally, but I got a job in a kitchen at a Chicago hot dog joint about 21 yrs old. I had just watched my best friend die in an accident. I wouldn't come out of my room for a month. My family finally gets me to go out for pizza. On the way home, my youngest brother was like "hey, you should get a job there". The next day I went down and applied and got the job. I really enjoyed working there and was there for 1-2 years.

it gets harder and harder as the years go by. my wife and i are both chefs with different schedules. i was able to score a daytime shift without having to do lunch which, as im sure you all know, is very hard to come by in this industry. as the days go on i get more and more tired of cooking the same bs for the same group of people that think they know everything. i just want to cook my food in my home for friends and family with good drink. that is what cooking is really about.

i guess professional cooking gives me a glimpse of what i really enjoy every so often but im getting weary of it all and dont want to do it forever. it is my passion and something i share with my wife that not many others can but in the end, i know some of the food i make gives people great joy so for the time being, its worth it.